Fan engagement technology firm The Famous Group announced it has “joined forces” under “unified ownership” with Minnesota-based production studio Elite Edge Productions. In an interview with SBJ, Famous Group co-founder & CEO Jon Slusser described the deal as a “phased transaction” that starts with a minority investment by Famous Group into Elite Edge and will eventually see Famous Group take majority ownership of the company. The intent, however, is for both companies to continue operating under their distinct brands.
“We love Elite Edge for what it is,” Slusser said. “I don’t want to mess with it. I just want to collaborate.”
Founded in 2007, Elite Edge specializes in fabrication (i.e., designing and building custom infrastructure for events), live-action video capture and post-production editing for clients in sports and live events. Ryan Semanko, Elite Edge’s owner and president, said the company works with nearly one-third of MLB clubs and a quarter of NFL teams, among others.
Famous Group, meanwhile, is best known for its software applications -- most notably its Vixi Suite of fan engagement tools, which are used in more than 500 venues worldwide and facilitate in-game activations like selfie photo/video streaming on in-venue videoboards. The use of its “mixed reality” graphics production system by the Ravens is a nominee for the “Best Technology Collaboration” category at this months 2026 SBA: Tech Awards.
Both Slusser and Semanko touted the potential for future collaborations between Famous Group and Elite Edge to expand the level of service each is able to offer.
One upcoming example is a joint relationship with the Cowboys around creative elements within their in-game presentation. As Semanko describes it, Famous Group and Elite Edge will combine to ideate and pitch a new open video and graphics package for the team to use during games; Elite Edge will manage the set construction, filming and editing of those elements; and Famous Group will deploy the Vixi Suite at AT&T Stadium.
“If you try to do all these things independently, you end up replicating a lot of the infrastructure and processes in each brand. By bringing them under one group, we can be more competitive when it comes to delivering these things at scale more efficiently, which is really important to clients,” Slusser said. “It’s a strategic play. It’s about scale and capability -- and where the live events business is going, which is definitely more entertainment and engagement combined. More creative and technology together.”
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and Slusser and Semanko declined to discuss them.
